An
Interlude
1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the
earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind
would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud
voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth
and the sea,
3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees
until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
The
144,000
4
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and
forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the
tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve
thousand,
6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali
twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of
Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of
Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand
were sealed.
A
Multitude from the Tribulation
9
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which
no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples
and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed
in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation
to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around
the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their
faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever.
Amen."
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These
who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have
they come from?"
14 I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to
me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation,
and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb.
15 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and
they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on
the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
16 "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will
the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will
wipe every tear from their eyes." |